The War of Spanish Succession lasted from 1701 to 1714. It was fought because many European countries were frightened by the idea of Spain and France being united by having the same king. This war was known as Queen Anne’s War in the British colonies.

Queen Anne’s War did not really have any causes that were specific to North America. The British colonists had had tense relationships with both French and Spanish colonists. These tensions were caused largely by the fact that their mother countries had tense relations. Queen Anne’s War happened, then, because of tensions between the various colonies over issues of territory and economics that had their basis in the enmity between the mother countries.